More News

Thanks in part to the influence of Appalachian folk, hillbilly and Western swing, country music has always addressed some pretty dark subject matter. Sure, there are songs about cheating, fighting and stealing, but it's those even darker tunes about killin' that are the guiltiest of pleasures. They're also among the most popular — trying to count the number of times murder is alluded to in country's storied history is, like James Joyce said of eternity, akin to moving a beach one grain of sand at a time.

To be a bona fide country murder tale, the song must have a homicide (or two), a narrative and, of course, possess that distinctive country sound. Ergo, "Murder Was the Case" wouldn't qualify. Likewise, simply mentioning the capital offense does not a murder ballad make — there needs to be action. Here then are 10 country murder songs that best sum up the sub-genre.